Sheet reversing device for gumming machines



July 19, 1932. 1,868,283

P. W. FLEISCHER SHEET REVERSING DEVICE FOR GUMMING MACHINES Filed Feb. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Paul. WERNER FZEIscHa'R,

- WJMA ATTORNEYS July 19, 1932. P. w. FLEISCHER SHEET REVERSING DEVICE FOR GUMMING MACHINES Filed Feb. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 731w. WERNER REIscHE/s;

mid, ATTORN EY5 o The principal object of the 5 cision and certainty.

Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAUL WERNER rtmscmmor wnEnAwxEN, NEW messy, assreuon 'ro NEW mnsmr naomm: conrona'rrou, or nonoxnu, NEW mean, a conrona'rron or new JERSEY SHEET BEVEBSING DEVICE FOR GUMHING MACHINES Application filed February 23, 1929. Serial No. 341,950.

This invention relates to devices for handling aper sheets or labels and particularly to devices adapted to be used in conjunction with a gumming machine for removing an adhesively coated sheet from the gum applying roll and reversing said sheet so that the gummed surface thereof will be exposed and the sheet held in condition such that it may readily be subsequently applied to an article.

resent invention is to provide a new andimproved construction for a device of.the type above set forth by means of which the removal and reversal of the sheet will be effected with pre- Considered in its more s ecific aspects another principal object of t e invention is to improve upon the apparatus disclosed in the co-pending a plication for Letters Patentof o the United tates, Serial No. 255,568 filed February 20, 1928 by Paul W. Fleischer et al. and wherein is shown and described apparatus especially designed for use in supp ying gummed labels to a label applying machine. 5 The apparatus disclosed in said application consists in its essential parts of a gumming machine, preferably provided with a suction feeder head which automatically removes the labels, one at a time, from a stack or supply thereof, and feeds them to a gum applying roll, which operates to coat one side of the label with adhesive, and delivers said labels with the aid of certain auxiliary stripping and guiding means to a suction conveyor, which carries the labels to a labelling machine. As the labels are delivered from the gumming machine to the suction conveyor, the suction within the conveyor in the prior construction was employed to effect a reversal J of the sheet so that the side thereof freshly coated with adhesive is exposed during its travel on the conveyor, thus allowing time for the adhesive to season or to become tacky, and so that the adhesively coated sheets or labels may readily be automatically supplied to the labelling machine and applied thereby to the articles to be labelled.

In the operation of an apparatus of the type above described a great deal of difliculty is encountered in properly removing the gummed sheets from the gummin roll of the gummmg machine, reversing sai sheets and effectively bringing them into contact with the pneumatic conveying means. This difiiculty is increased when the sheets, as frequently is the case, are coated, on the sides opposite to that which are coated with adhesive, with a water proofing compound. It is absolutely essential that the gummed sheets be drawn into contact with the conveying belt as rapidly as the sheet is removed from the gummin roll. If this is not accomplished at the initia removal of the sheet from the gumming roll the sheet will assume a more or less curled condition. Such curling of the-sheet will permit the air passing through the conveyor belt to pass between the sheet and the belt and therefore will prevent perfect adhesion of the sheet to the belt and renders the belt ineffective for retaining the sheet in a flat condition.

The rapid curling of the gummed sheets is unusually severe when the sheets are coated with a hot gum, owing to the va or arising from the adhesive bath and to the act that the tempering effect of warm liquids on aper is greater than that of cold liquids.

eretofore, on certain types of paper, difliculty was encountered in obtaining sufiicient suction at the initial removal of the sheet from the gumming roll. As pointed out above the suction within the suction conveyor was employed to assist in the initial removal of the sheet and to transfer it from the gumming roll to the conveyor. It has been found that if suction of sufiicient force was applied to the entire conveying system so that the suction exerted through the suction conveyorbelt was capable of drawing the mmed I sheet into contact with the belt after it had curled slightly, difiiculties would be experienced in moving the conveyor belt due to the increased frictional contact between the belt and the perforated cover of the suction or vacuum box. The increased friction would also cause a considerable amount of wear on the belt due to its excessive rubbin Moreover, as the gummed sheet nears t e end of its travel on the pneumatic conveyor 'less force is required to maintain the sheet in a flat condition due to the softenin effect-the moisture of the adhesive has on t e paper.

, forming a part hereof and wherein, Fig. 1-

In view of the above a further ob ect is to provide means for exerting a concentrated suction on the labels, at the t1me they are removed from the gumming roll, in order to insure a positive eflicient removal and reversal of the labels and at the same time to avo'd the necessity of increasing the suctio in the conve ing belt system.

Another object 1s to utilize the same source of suction for the sheet feeding device and for producing the concentrated suction for the sheet removal, the latter being operative dur- I ing the time the feeding device is passing through. the inactive part of its stroke. The application of two stages of suction eliminates wastage of sheets duetothe curling,

prevents rapid wear of the conveyor belt and due to the limited area over which concentrated suction is ap lied reduces strain in the working parts 0 the machine owing to the reduced vacuum under which the greater part of the pneumatic conveyor is able to operate. By using the inactive portion of the suction feeder vacuum pump the necessity of providing an additional pump is avoided.

A. further object is to so constructthe apparatus that exceptionally small sheets may be fed therethrough without difliculty.

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent, to one skilled in the-art to which this invention appertains, from the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings is a section through an apparatus of the type set forth constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 22 of Fig. 3 showing the sheet reversing device; Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1 with the conveyer belt and perforated top of the vacuum chamber partly broken away and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the mechanism for switching the suction from the feeder head to the re- :iersing device as seen from the line 4-4 of Referring now more particularly to the several views of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates aside frame of a gumming machine in which is journalled a cam shaft 11. Rigidly secured to the shaft ll'is a cam disk 12 provided with three cam surfaces 13,. 14 and '15. Contacting with the cam surface 13 is a cam roll 16 rotatably mounted on a yoked lever 17 provided atits lower end with a slot 18 adapted to straddle the cam shaft 11. The upper end of the yoke 17 is pivotally connected'with a lever 19 by means of the pin 20. The cam roller 16 is held in engagement with the cam surface 13 by means of a tension spring 22, secured at its lower end to laterally projecting spring hook 21,

preferably formed integralwith the lever 17 at its upper end the spring 22 is anchored to the frame 10 by an eye bolt 23.

The lever 19 is rigidly secured to the rock shaft 24 to which is also secured an arm '25- having adjustabl secured toits outer end a suction hood or eeder head 26. Suction is induced in the suction head through the suction tube 27 in a manner presently to be in the u per ends of a pair of cam yokes 28 mounte one on each side of the machine, one of said yokes being shown in Fig. 1. \Each of the yokes 28 1s mounted for vertical reciprocation and is slidablev within a cap 29 secured to the side frame. Said reciprocation is produced by the cam surface 15 with which a camroller 30, rotatably mounted. on, and projecting laterally from, the yoke lever 28, engages. I

, Located to the rear of the cam disk 12 and engaging the cam surface 14 thereof is a roll 31 rotatabl mounted on an oscillating valve lever 32. a he lever 32 is secured to a tube 33, mounted for oscillation in suitable bearings (not shown) and said tube serving as a pivotal mounting for the lever 32 as well as a conduit through which suction is established. The lever 32 preferably has formed integrally therewith a cylinder 34 in which 1 tending upwardly from the body of the lever I 32. is a hollow suction a-rm38 provided with a conduit or passage 39 which communicates at its lower' end with the interior of the tube 33. Secured 'to the tube 33 and communicating with the interior thereof, is a fitting or connection 40, to which is attached a flexible hose 41, said hose being in turn connected to a powerful vacuum device (not shown).

A bracket 42, (see Fig. 4) is secured to the frame 10 and said bracket'is provided with a lug 43 adapted to act as an abutment for the sprin plunger 35, the force of the spring 37 there ore actin to urge the valve lever 32 in a clockwise irection and to hold the cam roller 31 against the cam surface 14. From the body of the bracket 42 extends an arm 44, (see Fig. 1), the upper portion of which is provided with two ports 45 and 46, to which are connected respectively the hoses 27 and 47. The hose 27 oins the port 45 with the suction feeder head 26 and the hose 47 joins the port 46 with an elbow 48 fastened to the end of a tube 49.

Disposed below the feeder head 26 is a support 50 adapted to hold a stack of sheets 51 from wh1ch the uppermost sheet is removed by the feeder head 26 and fed to a pair of feed rolls 52. The feed rolls 52 are suitably journalled in the side frames of the machine. Located immediately adjacent to,

transfers a film or coating of adhesive to the upper or gum applying roll 53.

Above the upper roll 53 and journalled in the brackets a is located a reversing roll 59 around which the conveyer belt 60 is trained. The reversing roll 59 is mounted on a shaft 59 journalled in bearings formed in the ends of links 10 which as shown in Fig. 3 are pivotally mounted upon the tube 40 hereinbefore referred to. To an extending portion of the shaft 59 is attached'a gear 59*, said gear being driven in any suitable manner from the main driving gears (not shown) of the machine. reversing roll 59 has cut therein a plurality of grooves 61 in which are seated the hookv shaped suction hoods 62 formed on the front, of what may be termed, the initial suction box 63. As will be seen from Fig. 2 the suction box 63 is hollow and the interior thereof communicates at its rear end with the interior of the suction tube 49. It will also be seen that the curved portions of the hoods 62 form with the perimeter of the roll 59 a substantially continuous surface, and that each of said hoods has an inclined upper surface which seats within a recess or slot in the top of the conveyer suction box 65 at the front end thereof and forms with said box top a continuous surface. Each of the hoods 62 is provided with a series of suction openings or slots 64 adjacent to the reversing roll 59 and communicating with the interior of the suction box 63. The conveyer suction box is formed by the perforated top 66, a solid bottom plate 68 and side and end walls. The box thus formed may be connected with any suitable suction producing means adapted for continuously exhausting the air from the interior of the compartment. The suction thus produced in the box 65 is communicated through the holes 67 and the interstices of the conveyer belt 60 which may be constructed of any suitable open meshed fabric or of rubber or leather provided with spaced apertures.

The operation is as follows: Although all of the parts described above may operate continuously, in practical operation the feeding of the sheets and the movement of the conveyer belt are preferably intermittent, whereas the feed rolls 52 and the glue rolls 53, 54 preferably are rotated continuously by any suitable driving mechanism. The intermittent movement of the sheet feeder and conveyer are preferably under the control of a one revolution clutch (not shown) which operates to stop the rotation of the cam shaft 11 when the parts are in the position shown in the drawings. It will be noted The surface of the from the positions of the cam rollers 31 and 30 on the cam surfaces 14 and 15 res ectively, that the hollow arm 38 of the valve ever will have been moved to the position shown in alignment with the port and that the cam yokes 28 and feeder head 26 will have been raised from the label stack shortly before the parts stopped. Suction having been established in the feeder head 26 through the tube 33, arm 38 and hose 27 the sheet 51 will be firmly held in the position shown.

The one revolution clutch is then actuated, either manually or automatically, to cause the cam shaft 11 to be rotated by any suitable driving mechanism, in a counter-clockwise direction.

It will be obvious from an inspection of Fig. -1 that the contour of the cam surface 13 is such that as the cam shaft so rotates from the position shown, the roller 16 and cam yoke 17 will be permitted to move upwardly under the action of the tension spring 22. Upward movement of the cam yoke will cause the crank arm 19, to which the upper end of said cam yoke is connected, to be swung in a clockwise direction, thus producing a similar movement of the crank shaft 24, arm 25 and feeder head 26. This will cause the sheet carried by the feeder head to be presented to the feed rollers 52 and to be fed by them to the gum applying roll 53.

As the sheet 51 adheres to and is fed by the glue applying roll 53, it receives a coating of adhesive. The said roll 53 receives its adhesive supply from the fountain roll 54 and adhesive bath 55. In order to remove the sheet 51* from engagement with the glue applying roll 53 the reversing blades 69 are provided, these blades project into grooves in the roll 53 and are curved to direct the said sheet into contact with the conveyer belt 60. Just before the sheet 51 rides onto the reversing blades 69, the conveyer belt 60 starts to move, the movement being accomplished by any suitable driving means.

The curvature of the cam surface 14 is such that, just as the front edge of the sheet 51 is inserted between the feed rollers 52, the valve lever 32 will be swung from right to left in Fig. 1 to bring the arm 38 thereof out of alignment with the port 45 and into alignment with the port 46. The port 45 thus being uncovered the suction in the hose 27 and feeder head will be broken thereby releaspermitting the feed rollers to feed it to the gum applying roll 53. When the arm 38 swings into alignment with the port 46 suction will be established through said arm 38, said port 46 and hose 47 to the pipe 49 and suction box 63, so that by the time the forward edge of the sheet in its travel about the roll 53 rides onto the blades 69 its outer uncoated side will be drawn, by\the suction exerted ing the sheet 51 from the feeder head and through the holes 64 of the suction box, against the conveyer belt 60.

The belt 60 is made to move at a eater surface speed than the roll 53, there ore it will be readily understood that the only portion of a coated sheet which will contact with the curved blades 69 will be the front edge thereof, the remainder of the sheet being drawn into contact with the belt 60 by means of the air passing through said belt and through the holes 64 of the box 63. As the sheet passes out of the region of activity of the compartment 63, the vacuum in the compartment will retain the sheet in contact with the belt 60. The air in the interior of the compartment 65 is continuously exhaustved by any suitable means and so that the pneumatic action on the sheet 51' will continue until the belt 60 reaches the end of its run.

While the sheet 51 is being carried forward by means of the feed roll 52, adhesive applying roll 53 and conveyer belt 60, the feeder head 26 is swinging rearwardly to the vertical position shown in Fig. 1. During this time the rear end of the sheet 51' will have passed clear'of the stack 51 allowing a free path for the feeder head 26 to descend and pick up another sheet. When the arm 25 reaches the vertical position, the curvature of the cam surface 14 is such as to cause the connecting parts to throw the arm 38 from the port 46 to the port 45, thereb causing suction to be again induced in the eeder head 26.

By the time the arm 38 is thrown from the port 46 to the port 45 the sheet just fed will have passed from the zone of activity of the compartment 63, into entire control of the pneumatic action of the compartment 65 at which time the motion of the conveyer belt 60 will cease.

At this time the feeder head 26 starts to descend through the action of the cam surfaces 13 and 15, thereby causing the cam yokes 17 and 18 to be lowered until the feeder head 26 engages the top sheet of the stack 51. The suction in the interior of the feeder head 26 draws the top sheet into contact with the said head and immediately rises with the sheet attached, the various parts which operate intermittently stopping in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the apparatus being ready to start a new cycle. The cycle of operations above described is repeated as each sheet is fed through the mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. The combination with a gumming machine having a gum applying roll and a suction conveyer to which the gummed sheets are delivered from said gumming machine,-

of a reversing roll about which said suction conveyer is trained, and a plurality of stationary suction hoods having their suction openings lying flush with the periphery of said reversing roll at a point adjacent to v the said gum a plying roll. 1

2. The com mation with a gumming machine having'agum applying roll, of a suction conveyer having its delivery end located adjacent to said gum applying roll, said suction conveyer having suction continuously exerted therein, a reversing roll about which the receivin end of said conveyer is trained, and a p urality of suction hoods located within the suction compartment of said suction conveyer, said suction hoods havmg their suction mouths located in ali ment with the periphery of said reversm roll, and means operating 'in predetermine relationship with said gumming machine for producing suction within said suction hoods intermittently and as sheets passin through said gum machine are delivered t erefrom.

3. The combination with a gumming machine, of a suction conveyer to-which sheets coated in said gumming machine are delivcred, a reversing roll about which the receiving end of said conveyer is trained, said reversing roll being provided with a plurality of recesses, and curved suction hoods lo cated in said recesses and having a surface thereof in alignment with a ortion of the periphery of said reversing r0 1, said suction oods being adapted for connection with a source of suction.

4. The combination with a gumming machine, of a suction conveyer having a suction box, the top of which is perforated, a foraminated belt travelin across said perforated top of said suction hex, a roller about which the receiving end of said belt is trained, said roller having a plurality of grooves therein and a plurality of suction hoods each hav ing a portion seated within a groove of said roller and another portion located in align- Lnent with the perforated top of said suction 5. The combination with a gumming machine, of a suction conveyer having a suction box, the top of which is perforated, a foraminated belt traveling across said perforated top of said suction box, a roller about which the receiving end of said belt is trained, said roller having a plurality of grooves therein and a plurallty of suction hoods each having a portion seated within a groove of said roller and another portion located in alignment with the perforated top of said suction box, and means connected with a source of suction and arranged to communicate intermittently with said suction heads whereby suction is produced intermittently within said suction hoods independently of the suction produced within said suction box.

6. The combination with a gumming machine having a gum applying roll and a suction feeding head for intermittently and automatically feeding sheets to be coated one at a time from a supply thereof to said roll,

means for removin the adhesively coated sheets from said r0 said means com rising suction hoods located adjacent to sai gumming roll, a main suction conduit leading to a source of suction and valve means for intermittently placing said suction feeding head and said suction hoods in communication with said conduit in alternation. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PAUL WERNER FLEISOHER. 

